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I've Seen Better

by Sikes and The New Violence

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    Single LP pressed on white vinyl. Comes housed in a full-color, hand assembled and die-cut, quad fold jacket. Hand numbered.

    Includes a full album on CD and fresnel lens for viewing lyrics and liner notes.

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    Single cassette comes in a white shell. Housed in a clear case with a full-color, 6 panel j-card insert. Hand numbered.

    Includes a download card and fresnel lens for viewing lyrics and liner notes.

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    Includes unlimited streaming of I've Seen Better via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
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    Compact Disc (CD) + Digital Album

    Single compact disc comes housed in a clear, resealable clear envelope with 5 individual full-color inserts. Hand numbered.

    Includes a fresnel lens for viewing lyrics and liner notes.

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1.
i feel the thunder - feel it underneath my feet the steady rumble of a not so steady beat i live in glitches - distortion pumping through my veins a sick addiction pulling me into my grave my name is brian lee howe - born in 198_ 2_ years old - so glad to be alive sikes is the name that i am known by picked it up holding paint cans underneath the moonlight grew up a little bit and brushed the crime up off my shoulders but the name stuck as i got older 10 years later still spitting out the same shit i plateaued long ago - thats some real shit went from being comfy to being just flat broke yeah i've went from being sober to just being a joke was on the path to growing up but i turned the other way traded that 401k for some 808 bass i found that being happy doesn't require an equation the key to living easy is low expectations i found that being happy doesn't come with time and patience the key to living easy is low expectations watching all my grown friends go and get their lives right fucking married having babies with some steady 9 to 5 while i'm still on my check to check - barely making rent because before i get paid you know that shit's already spent always biting off way more than i can chew no worries wash it down with a couple of brews yeah, i used to not drink but now i kinda do it's been a couple years now - that shit's old news so will i ever grow up? i'm thinking not ever spend all my money on pizza and vinyl - whats better this downward spiral ain't really that bad cuz if i didn't have problems tell me what would i have? piece by piece – piece by piece when i take my life let me take it in peace when i take my life dump my corpse in the street and fill the air with the failure my body will reek leave me to rot - breadcrumbs for the birds no one will miss a voice that they’ve never heard but should my absence be noticed the mourn will be never they'll look me in my dead eyes and say “i've seen better”
2.
why is everyone so lonely - starved for attention reaching out for any source of digital affection i couldn't care less about your thumbs up button come here now let me tell you something listen close - you are not alone you just spend too much time on your goddamn phone bitch and moan like the whole world treats you wrong shit, you all sound the same like acoustic songs let's be real - we all talk shit on our friends lets be real - we're all fake - real shit it's a trend let's be real - we all talk shit on our friends lets be real - we're all fake - real shit it's a trend i don't wanna be your homie - don't wanna be your bro i shouldn't have to play cool because your feelings say so if you suck well i guess it sucks to suck and i'm tired of pretending like i still give a fuck cause i'm not getting any younger but man, i'm getting number the amount of fucks i'm giving is a fucking low number we all talk shit on our friends lets be real - we're all fake - real shit it's a trend yeah, i'm not getting any younger but man, i'm getting number the amount of fucks i'm giving is a fucking low number and as i've gotten older i have developed quite the cold shoulder shave my head bald - its time for an inspection grab the knife and do a little personal dissection peel the scalp back - crack the skull - no pain party with the demons that swim through the fluids of my brain dig around a little bit - pick out all the funny shit anything i don't need yeah, i'm getting rid of it try to make some room for some more positivity but i attract bad feelings like static electricity priorities - they need straightened out was feeling good to have a family 'til they fucking kicked me out it's my fault - i couldn't make the time too busy to contribute and too cheap to spend a dime moving on - it's nothing that i'm new to but losing best friends still takes some getting used to raise a glass - those times have passed so here's a toast to another year of life in the trash i should act my age and face my fears been 21 years old for the past 8 years they say you can't teach an old dogs new tricks ah shit, well i guess that would explain this
3.
Solitaire 03:55
i spit that outdated flow - vhs format full of static and just trying hard to stay on track i got them dollar bin rhyme schemes - talent on a budget beating on a dead horse - easy fuckin' does it it's a struggle trying not to struggle i’m feeling like a clown the way i'm always on my juggle thinking that my hustle needs a little more focus so maybe i could feel just a little less bogus get on my non-stop - get full time get on my tony hawk cheat codes - infinite grind too much thinking - not enough action always plan to make plans for plans that never happen too many hopes - too many dreams too many goals and priorities ring the alarm all you want - you know i'm just gunna snooze it relax is necessary but i'm starting to abuse it i've only read two books in my life some goosebumps bullshit and catcher in the rye i wish i had the time to have more time for myself it could be better for your health i've sang this same damn song my whole life feeling like i'm on repeat - i really wonder why i need to find the time to crack some books on these shelves and try to learn how to be somebody else cuz i ain’t learned no thing that i ain’t taught myself no, i ain’t learned no thing that i ain’t taught myself i can’t sleep - bones are too cold eyelids are heavy but restless is my soul looking like a black eye - feeling like a nose job sinking like a cannonball - boring like a bus stop fuck a phone - i need to recharge my ambition before i'm stuck without a pot left to piss in feeling foreigner - i got that double vision feeling tom cruise - impossible mission i need a break from taking breaks i've got to hold on - i got the alabama shakes i've got to keep running - i've got to lose weight i've got to work harder - i've got to concentrate on the big picture but my big picture ain't so big shallow change in my pockets - i’ll never have to dig here we go again - you know i'm gunna just snooze it relax is necessary but i'm about to fucking lose it i'm going on a life diet before i start a fucking riot i'm going on a life diet but best believe i'm still hungry all that time wasted before i wish somebody could refund me so busy staying busy - always up to something but by trying to have it all i ended up with nothing
4.
plastics - plastics make it possible for everyone i know to grow some damn obstacles it's astronomical the damage that it brings unaware of all the ugly things that lie underneath they're on the magazines - the television screens a clear image of what a person’s supposed to be but they ain't getting to me cuz i can plainly see through all your fabricated self indulgent fantasies screw in that jealously light bulb and here we go they let the envy take control of everything they know they tear the pictures from the books and plaster up their walls beauty’s a giant - yeah i heard that it stands pretty tall casting a shadow so dark a storm fills the sky and pisses out it it's fetishised lies into our eyes with all these plastic manufactured superstars that only make you forget how beautiful you really are in this plastic generation the plot keeps getting thicker we’re staring down a barrell and their photoshop’s the trigger i don’t know what i want but i know i want it now i don’t know how to get it but i’ll die before i’m proud plastics - plastics make it possible the concept of perfection is so damn illogical it's astronomical - the money to be made by those so desperate for change that they’ll shake hands with a blade and when we come out you'd think it's halloween or somethin' the way we got our faces carved up like some pumpkins and it's all for nothin' cuz soon you'll discover that once you fix one problem it's replaced with another then another and another - now the story gets twisted so grab some popcorn and watch the plot thicken or should i say slim down a little sumthin' sumthin' sayin' it's a diet but really we're eating nothin' - bluffin' full circle - now we're all standing tall faces lookin' like those pictures that we put on our walls casting a shadow over the ones that we used to be unaware of almost everything we've left underneath i have seen the darkest of days but nothing darker than the storm thats slowly coming our way i have seen the blackest of plagues but nothing blacker than the blood thats pouring out of veins i have felt the maggots that crept out of the wounds we've left untreated taking over our flesh and i have smelt the traces of death that shall release into the air as we share our last breath ravenous ants work runways - quick how the mind plays tricks and treats to make you all praise the ravenous plastic
5.
i saw this girl i used to know at the bar putting on her charm with some other dude i know - wrapped up tight in his arms she's holding him tight - as tight as can be but the whole time she's looking at me and i can't help but look back but don't wanna give the wrong impression we stopped talking for a reason - no question i'm way over it - i should walk away before any more trouble starts coming my way it would be nice if i could leave the house without some skeletons from my closet creeping out but this town's too small and i've made a lot of mistakes on that desperate chase for the strangest of tastes people trippin' - looking for the perfect mate steady keeping fresh meat on their bedroom plate always the victim - they're never to blame romance issues - grab a tissue - hearts they all break the same how many licks does it take - how many licks does it take to get to the center of your conscious how many smiles can you fake - how many smiles can you fake before looking in the mirror gets nauseous how many licks does it take - how many licks does it take to get to the center of your conscious how many smiles can you fake - how hearts can you break before looking in the mirror gets nauseous i still wonder sometimes if it was ever true that a tiny little me was growing inside of you i thought it was a secret - kept my mouth shut for years but apparently you opened yours to somebody’s ears cuz it got back to mine - it got back to mine sikes was gunna be a daddy - yeah i heard it through the grapevine it still sends shivers down my spine every time i see you with my friends and cant say hi like how do i approach you - what do i say thats some really thick ice to break i got a feeling everything is okay water under the bridge but shit like that don't float away our lives could have been a whole lot different better or worse - theres no need for the logistics what’s done is done - had to pull that plug took whatever could have been and swept it underneath your rug i have never felt so cold ever since i shook hands with that dark side of my soul running away but always heading for a storm can't pass a raincloud without knocking on its door it's a sick sad world i saw this girl i used to know at the bar putting on her charm with some other dude i know - wrapped up tight in his arms she's holding him tight - as tight as can be but the whole time she's looking at me and i can’t help but look back no i can't help but look back at my sick sad world
6.
Always Last 03:02
sitting on the bus got a pillow case full of t-shirts backpack full of records and damn my fucking feet hurt tired as fuck coming home from a show and nobody else on this bus knows knows knows knows who the fuck i am or what the fuck i do and all the nonsense i go through to make it come true but there's a lot of cats around who wear these same shoes it's just another common case of the hip hop blues blues boo fucking hoo truth is – i don't really know a damn thing i just rap cuz i don't know how to sing i make beats cuz i cant play guitar keep a sluggish pace cause i'm not going very far just sitting here on this bus - paper and a pen passing time by writing rhymes - still trying to pretend that one day things gunna are change i mean i think i'm in a good mood but it feels a bit strange i'm on that manual focus i find the automatic alternative bogus nobody cares - it's not a big big deal but in a room with no friends how am i supposed to feel i'm sick of this scene - i'd rather be at home than at these d.i.y. shows with kids just playing on their smartphones wanna show the touring acts a little respect so i donate a couple bucks and they leave before my set always last so i get it over fast track them lame fucks down and take my five bucks back fuck your privileges – they don't mean shit and leave a bad taste in my mouth kinda like dry spit it's a long way to the top if you wanna rock and roll yet nobody seems to focus on the quality control after all these years one thing that i have learned living in this city theres plenty of bridges to burn throwing matches left and right – never question your doubts and pretty soon you're just a firestarter stuck without a way out you know thats shit is getting bad when you dream about your glory days like they were the best sex you have ever had i’ll lay my hopes close enough to the surface of the sun to melt my flesh down to my bones and let my bones just turn to dust let me turn to dust
7.
Just Swim 04:25
my eyes adjust to this absence of light and suddenly this dark tunnels looking kinda bright dropped my worries out the window bout a hundred miles back with a lap full of dorito crumbs just dreaming of a six pack move bitch get out the way get out the way bitch get out the way i've lost all taste for the human race but nothing in the world could wipe this smile off my face i got my head cocked back looking at the stars listening to nothing but whistling of other passing cars the guys up in the front seat trying to stay awake having sing-a-longs to the most ridiculous of mixtapes move bitch get out the way get out the way bitch get out the way been cramped in the back of this van for four states but nothing in the world could wipe this smile off my face and the next time i see the sun i'll be sitting on the beach staring at the ocean thinking how hard would it be to just swim yeah, the next time i see the sun i'll be sitting on the beach staring at the ocean thinking how hard could it be to just swim shit, i would gladly trade this pillow for some coffee no rest for the wicked the thought of sleep is just exhausting i'm crossing another state line 12 hours in this backseat feeling sublime these are the bedtime stories for the souls that never sleep steady counting up my loose change instead of counting sheep so much shit going on i'm losing track of my days so much shit on my plate - all you can eat buffet so i tip-toe through my life like i'm just walking on a frozen lake and i'm always looking down like i'm just waiting for this ice to break life is weird – but now i'm seeing things clear guess all i needed was a van of friends just yellin' in my ear like move bitch get out the way get out the way bitch get out the way things are fucked but i'm thinking that i'll be okay because nothing in the world could wipe this smile off of my face moving towards the light - moving towards the light thinking every shitty thing is gunna be alright then i'm like... whoa brian - your head's in the clouds we miss you here on earth - won't you come back down and never look back i think i'm gunna just swim and never look back
8.
lost - don't want to be found take away my vision - all i wanna be is sound darkness - walk away from the light never liked the sun - just give me permanent night sink in - swallow me whole origami landscapes its my turn to fold this painted canvas - i want to deface it forbidden fruit - i'm dying to taste it i just need to feel something new but i don't want to feel anything that isn't you best of intentions but i'm getting off track ever since i walked away i've had those dreams of going back and i crawl - traveling on broken glass “am i happy” is a question that i rarely seem to ask myself tough skin but these shards will get past any move i make might just be my last fade out - i don’t know who i am but i'm running really fast yeah catch me if you can i'm strung out - time flies when you’re running away i'm strung out - time flies but every day stays the same black out - i don't know where i am the room is spinning really fast yeah catch me if you can i'm strung out - on everyone else i'm strung out - on being myself ugly people - everywhere i look sex deprived egomaniacs with sharp hooks just looking for a catch but nothing's ever good enough when your mediocre social status doesn't add up nobody's happy - lukewarm at best we all have too many things we need to get off of our chests we all have a voice - we all want to be heard but we reserve our listening only for the most absurd money and drugs - violence and scandal all of the power that our genitals can handle i want it bad - it’s right within my reach want to drag it home and spread it all over my sheets my good intentions are starting to corrode i’d rather be in a maze than on this one way road where am i going? i don’t wanna know burn this roof over my head - my body is my only home is everyone crazy or is it just me am i victim of bad luck or reality is the world really this dark or am i too blind to see that the only ugly thing in this world is me
9.
Scam Artists 03:09
technology has never really been my thing said fuck the ipad and got a moleskine stay off the map - off the grid - off line don’t need no iv pumping wifi to fill me with bad vibes cuz i get pissed at the fact i get pissed at all the dumb shit i see that makes my lame friends pissed everyones a critic - everyones a god don’t believe the hype man everyones a fraud nobody you know is as important as they act i try to keep it simple but still get caught in the traps because its hard not to type shit back – i feel you gotta take a stand - make a point - fuck that like who the hell are you - some asshole on a laptop and who the hell am i - some asshole making hip hop everyones a political analyst - damn don’t believe the hype man everyones a scam artist yo, i don't hang out by myself because i got no friends it's just because all my friends like dumb shit all of my - all of my friends like dumb shit counterfeit - counterfeit motherfucking scam artists sure i could fit into some mold - let social norms define my life become a slave to shape that i don't even like squeeze my fat ass into some skinny expectations awesome - radical - totally bodacious a dancing monkey - a birthday clown so high on being normal i ain’t ever coming down everyone is happy - everyone is blessed don’t believe the hype man - everyones a mess nobody you know is as perfect as they act we all have guilty pleasures that we're keeping under wraps and i don’t think you wanna know what i'm hiding inside but if you show me yours then i'll show you mine because everyone is filthy - nobody is clean so much dirty laundry - no washing machine and we’re acting like our shit don't stink man - goddamn don't believe the hype, man - everyones a scam artist don't wanna talk about your gods, your money, your politics or love i don't believe in any of the above i think i'm ready for it - i'm sick to death of all your gods, money, politics and love i don't believe in any of the above i think i'm ready for it - i'm fucking ready for it
10.
Parasites 05:02
it seems like only yesterday walking out the doors first day of 9th grade things couldn't be sweeter - everything was just right and so far they might have been the best times of my life had a tight group of friends - couldn't ask for none better everything we did yeah we did it together anything seemed possible - we never said never and damn i used to think that it would last forever but now it seems like only yesterday walking out the doors - last day of 12th grade the past 4 years went by in a flash and the life i once knew slowly turned into ash instead of going to the mall every night like a jerk i only ended up there when i was going to work the responsibilities of life had crashed from the sky leaving only the memories of 1999 it seems like only yesterday just a group of hooligans chillin' at the arcade with no worries for the future - just living the life just living the life - just living the life it seems like only yesterday moving out my moms place and on my way yeah living with my best friend was kinda the shit we didn't see each other much but thats the way that it is working steady at the job - 5 days a week paying bills and saving up for the shit to make those beats i had my own plans - so did everyone else some chose a good path - others not so well and now it seems like only yesterday the day that best friend had to move away he went off to finish school - i wished him nothing but luck but every since he left communications been kinda fucked and the people who i used to see all of the time have dissolved into just memories that fill up my mind and thats why i love to just close my eyes and journey back to them days in 1999 it seems like only yesterday just a group of hooligans chillin' at the arcade with no worries for the future - just living the life of the everyday teenage suburbanite but as time moves forward and the seasons change we keep growing apart but still remember the days when everything was so simple - just living the life of the everyday teenage parasite they like to say from darkness always comes a brand new day everything changes - everything fades and i can feel this slipping away i can feel you slipping away it’s like i’m under the knife - eyes open - wide awake every cut gets deeper - you’re no good with a blade how much anesthesia is this going to take? how many drugs can you shove in my face? i need to numb this pain i've reached out - tried to say hello to a few who i wish i could have kept more close but sometimes it's better just to keep that door closed because anytime you open it the cold wind blows (in) i don't remember the last time we were all together so i wish we would have spent that time a little bit better no lie – all i can do is just close my eyes and take it back to those days in 1999 i need to numb this pain of feeling so defeated i never have a problem with saying goodbye unless i really mean it

about

"I've Seen Better" is the fifth self-released studio album from Pittsburgh based Indie/Alt Hip-Hop artist SIKES and marks the debut studio appearance of his backing band THE NEW VIOLENCE.

credits

released August 1, 2015

Musicians:
Joey Solak played drums.
Justin Campbell played bass.
Brandon Musser played guitars and synth.
Mandy Montgomery sang some words.
Sikes did everything else.

Woody Wright played piano on "Parasites".
Nick Prezioso, Greg Scelp, Shelby McAdams, Kory Malone
& Brooke Vollman did group vocals on “Ravenous Plastic” & “Just Swim”.

Production Notes:
Matt Very recorded the live drums.
Buddy Hoebler was the drum tech.
Matt Very also recorded most of Sikes' vocals.
All of those things happened at Very Tight Recordings.
Sikes did everything else at his house.

Mastered by Matt Very.

Art & Design credits:
Hannah Altman took the photos.
Sikes did everything else.

Thank you.

© 2015 Bad Idea Collective

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Sikes and The New Violence Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

RIP Sikes and The New Violence. (2014-2020) Long live NORMAL CREATURES.

normalcreatures.net

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